California's Communities

Our first episode takes us to the little town of Winters in Northern California to visit their recently restored and rejuvenated historic downtown and to see their pride and joy -- their historic railroad trestle bridge right in the middle of town which has been not only restored, but is now a heavily used bike/pedestrian pathway. If our trip to Winters is any indication at all, this is going to be an exciting, educational, and downright inspirational series about our state's communities.

Huell travels to the town of Clovis to see first hand how the community has embraced it’s old downtown buildings and how it’s gone to great pains to do a proper restoration.

Huell travels to the town of Temecula to see how the “old town” portion has been brought back and is better then ever.

The small city of Redding in Northern California is a vibrant community that has embraced its rich history and also looked into to the future. From a new business park to a sculpture park that surrounds the new city hall, an historic art deco theater that has been lovingly restored to a revitalized downtown mall, there is a lot to see. We’ll also visit Shasta College and grab a bite to eat at Jack’s Grill, which has been serving up hearty fare for over fifty years. We’ll end the show at the beautiful Sundial Bridge, which spans the Sacramento River and is a true piece of world-class art.

You may never heard of a neighborhood with name “Alkali Flats”, but its Sacramento’s oldest and has gone through an amazing renaissance. Once a derelict area filled with falling down Victorians, it’s now the pride of the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency. Huell starts his visit among some victorian painted ladies that now rival any in San Francisco and then its off to the old Globe Mills flour plant which was considered “the” blight of the neighborhood and is now the jewel in the crown. The architects did and incredible job of turning and old mill into amazing loft style apartments. The developer also added over a hundred units of low-income senior housing, which filled an important void in the community.

Huell attends the town's celebration of the reopening of their historic Victorian train depot and then tours the historic downtown.

Huell visits the site of the old World War II Naval Training Station in San Diego to see its new life.

Huell spends the day visiting an affordable housing development in Signal Hill.

Huell visits award-winning housing for the homeless in downtown Santa Barbara.

Huell’s tour of Richmond includes a look at the redevelopment of the old Ford assembly building.

Huell spotlights some modern uses for the historic Alameda Naval Air Station, and then takes a tour of the Alameda Theater, built in 1932 and newly restored.

Right in the heart of downtown San Diego is a part of the city that's been rejuvenated. From PetCo Park to its restored historic buildings, Huell visits a vibrant community.

Huell tours the streets around Pasadena's Colorado Boulevard, where historic buildings have been preserved and turned into today's bustling marketplace.

Huell starts at Americana at Brand to see how property taxes helped to build the new Casa de la Amistad which is a 24-unit fully accessible, affordable apartment complex for individuals with developmental disabilities in Glendale, CA. Casa de la Amistad (House of Friendship) is the 31st development project in United Cerebral Palsy’s history, and addresses the critical shortage of affordable, accessible housing in Los Angeles County for low-income individuals with developmental disabilities.

Huell visits the small city of Napa, which is nestled in the heart of California’s world famous wine growing region. The cities riverfront has gone through a major facelift and Huell spends the day getting a tour. From the Opera House, to the public art to the beautiful open space that grace this amazing new complex, Napa is on the cutting edge of redevelopment.